A network interface in a computer ordinarily transmits packets onto the network, where the packets are delivered to the interface by a system bus transferring the packets from a memory of the computer. Also, packets received from the network are ordinarily transferred by the system bus from the interface to memory. Occasionally a fault will occur in the computer, where the fault prevents packets from being transferred by the system bus between the memory and the network interface.
There is needed, in the event of a failure of a component of a computer such as the system bus or the main processor, a means for the computer to transmit information onto the network to another computer, so that notice of the failure is brought to the attention of the proper authorities. The proper authorities may be either a person, a management software application, or some other entity monitoring operation of computers connected to the network.